Prologue: The Ambush
The sounds of gunfire echoed through the quiet alley, sharp and violent, the smell of gunpowder thick in the air. Memphis Zaldarriaga’s heart pounded in his chest as he crouched low, his eyes searching frantically for any sign of danger. His hands trembled around the gun, but he steadied himself. He had to protect her.
Viviana.
She was with him, just a few feet away. But the chaos was too loud, the world around them too fast. He could barely hear her breath, could barely see her through the shadows. She was too beautiful to be here, in this nightmare with him. But she was. And he couldn’t—he wouldn’t—let anything happen to her.
“Stay down!” he barked at her, his voice hoarse.
Viviana’s soft eyes met his, wide with fear, but she nodded, clutching her purse to her chest. They were supposed to be leaving the party, heading back to the safety of the car, but fate had other plans. The explosion of gunfire shattered the peace of the night, and all Memphis could think of was her.
Then it happened. A flash of movement. He turned just in time to see the figure behind them, gun raised, fingers pulling the trigger.
No.
Memphis’s mind screamed in panic, but his body couldn’t react fast enough. The shot rang out, and time seemed to freeze. Viviana’s eyes went wide in shock as the bullet pierced her chest.
“No!” Memphis shouted, reaching out for her as she crumpled to the ground, her blood spilling across the pavement. His grip on the gun tightened as fury overtook him. Without hesitation, he fired back at the shooter, sharp cracks slicing through the chaos. The shadow disappeared into the dark, but Memphis didn’t stop until the clip ran dry.
He, then, dropped to his knees beside her, his hands shaking as he tried to stop the bleeding. Viviana's lips moved, her breath shallow as she tried to speak, but no sound escaped her. It was too late. Her beautiful eyes, full of life just moments ago, dulled with death. She was gone.
He pulled her close, his voice a broken whisper as he rocked her in his arms. “Viviana, no… please…”
But the world didn’t stop. The gunfire continued, but he couldn’t hear it anymore. All he could hear was the hollow emptiness inside him as he held her in his arms, the love of his life slipping away.
Memphis’ chest heaved, his heart racing. He gasped for air, his body drenched in sweat.
His eyes snapped open to the harsh reality of his dark bedroom, the dream still clinging to him like a suffocating fog. The pain was still fresh, the images of her blood, her lifeless body, haunting his every waking moment.
The room was silent, save for his ragged breaths and the low hum of the city outside. He could still feel her in his arms, her warmth, the life that had once been there. He could still hear her laugh in his ears, feel the softness of her skin beneath his fingertips.
But she was gone.
The pain hit him like a wave, crashing over him with a force that made his head spin. Viviana. The woman he had loved more than life itself.
He closed his eyes again, trying to shake the memories, trying to get a grip on the overwhelming grief that consumed him. He had built an empire from the ashes of that pain, buried the loss deep within him, but it never truly went away.
The emptiness inside him was constant. And nothing, not his wealth or power, could ever fill it.
